


Only I Could be so Bold

by ImperialRemnant



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen, I honestly can't figure out what to tag this?? Your general short fun fic, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-07 20:14:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8814700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperialRemnant/pseuds/ImperialRemnant
Summary: Luke Skywalker has been poisoned on their last mission for the Rebellion. The only cure? The blood of a relative. With Han doing other work for the Alliance, and everyone else seeing no hope, Leia is left on her own to figure things out. Out of desperation, she goes to the one person who knew Luke’s family – Darth Vader.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just came across this as I was looking through my works. I don't science so please ignore the science if it doesn't make sense xD  
> Also, Leia is perhaps much more forgiving in this than her canon-self :3

“Luke!” was the voice heard over the sounds of all the ships, the droids beeping and the workings of the hangar. Many stopped in time to see General Skywalker fall to the floor right beside Princess Leia Organa when the two walked off a ship ramp.

“Luke,” Leia repeated, now quieter as she crouched down beside her friend, his nose still bleeding. They had laughed about it earlier, Luke waving off her worry, telling her stress had caused it, but even if Luke had been stressed, it wasn’t the cause.

Medics rushed onto the scene and got Luke to the Rebellion’s medbay. Leia waited outside, pacing back and forth, something telling her things were grim. She did her best to ignore it, but when a white-haired doctor came out of the medbay, Leia knew it was bad.

The medic tried to hide the worry that radiated off him. “I’m sorry, Princess, he’s been poisoned.”

“What!?” Leia’s mind reeled, and suddenly she remembered, she _knew_. One of the men they had gone to make a deal with, and had offered them drinks. She recalled his shifty nature, the way his hands went over Luke’s cup as he passed it to him. The way he worded what he spoke, careful and concise, like he knew who they both were. That Luke was the rebel pilot who had blown up the Death Star. Luke hadn’t worried, but Leia was more careful with what she said back, having dealt with these types of people before. She just didn’t know he would have stooped to poison- some of the Imperials called it a coward's weapon. Or Vader did, anyway.

She asked the Medic, “Well what’s the cure?”

“It’s a very _rare_ poison, used in aristocracies against- well, perhaps you don’t wish to hear a history lesson. The cure is delicate, as it affects the genetic polymorphism, or the genomes really, and this poison, Haematochlorian, it’s very rare, and it’s uncondensing the eukaryotic-.”

“Doctor! The cure,” Leia couldn’t care about the science of it all.

The doctor ran his wrinkled hand through his white hair, not looking at her when he spoke, “He needs the blood of a relative.”

“Relative’s blood?” Leia repeated. A simple cure. Yet, for Luke, entirely impossible. “Luke has no living relatives.”

The doctor looked back at her, with pity this time, “Distant relatives _could_ work, but the best results are from the closely related. Parents or siblings usually.”

“How long does he have?” Leia asked, wondering if she could call on the Force for help. Not that it would work for her. Luke was the Jedi, not her.

“A few weeks at best,” The Medic told her, “A week at worst.”

Where was Han when she needed him? But the smuggler couldn’t be here right now, he had been sent on a mission to the other side of the galaxy, to take advantage of a situation. They had gotten wind that Vader had left a secret base so Han had gone to investigate. Vader’s current whereabouts were currently known to the Alliance but they couldn’t just-

 _Wait_.

Darth Vader had known Luke’s family. But no- the idea was insane, absurd, desperate even. But she could do it. Vader was close, but they couldn’t send the entire Alliance. Leia would go herself, she would find Vader, and if she had to torture him to gather the information she needed... So be it.

“Princess?” The Medic asked, and Leia realised she still stared blankly at him.

“Th... Thank you... I’ll...” Leia walked off without finishing what she was going to say, not that she had any idea what she wanted to say, her mind was going through excuses and plans what to do so that the Alliance would let her leave the planet.

On the other hand, was permission really necessary?

***

Perhaps it had been stupid of her to come entirely alone. A droid for company may have been wise, especially since a droid like Artoo happened to be equipped and prepared for any given situation. When she was to come out of hyperspace, she expected the planet’s surroundings to be unoccupied. After all, Dorumaa was never in much need of assistance and stayed out of the Empire. So when Leia did come out of hyperspace, the last thing she expected was to be attacked by a flock of gunships. She cursed to herself, grabbing the controls to dodge the firing. As she headed towards the planet, the machinery went into overdrive, the sounds of the ship’s internal alarms giving off rapid beeping, signalling how much she was being hit.

“Ah Kriff,” Leia said, although she managed to take out one of the gunships, and they stopped firing at her when she started to speed through the atmosphere. They had managed to shoot off sections of her ship. No way would she be able to fly it off world.

Miraculously, she crashed into the water without everything falling apart, the ship bobbing along, staying afloat.

“Guess I can’t stay here long,” Leia gathered some things, and as she headed to exit the ship, water already starting to flood in. She opened the ship ramp, the bottom part going into the water, but the ship still floated to the point where Leia could avoid getting wet. She climbed to the top of the ship, not sure if the waters were safe. Lucky right behind where she crashed was land. Convenient even.

After a moment she concluded the water didn’t seem _unsafe_. The ocean was so clean she could see if any fish swam near the surface. A few small ones, but nothing dangerous. Bracing herself, since choices were few, Leia jumped in.

And when she hit the water, a cold sensation swept through her, but it had nothing to do with the sea. Leia ignored it for now, putting her mind to swimming over to shore. When she reached the land, she had to pull herself up on the rocks, up a small cliff only a meter high. For a moment, Leia panicked, unable to retain the strength to pull herself up, wondering if she could reach the island edge, but she did and had to use more strength than she would admit to get onto land.

On the land, she stayed resting on all fours, the white sand a forgiving sight, and then dark boots suddenly came into her view. Rather shiny black boots.

Leia stood up instantaneously, her blaster coming up and keeping it pointed at Darth Vader’s chest.

“Your highness, this is most…” Vader paused, “convenient.”

No trace of fear in her expression, keeping a poker-face despite the terror inside her and the urge to flee. At least she now knew why she had felt cold before. Vader’s presence always created a chill, maybe it was a Sith thing or because Vader was heartless, but it was not something anyone would ever want to feel. Along with the sudden iced air was an uninvited fear that crawled through one’s skin, edging closer to distress and anger the longer one stayed in the Sith Lord’s presence.

Vader’s lightsaber was in his hand, but not turned on. For a moment, he was ready to move, to slash Leia with the saber, with every intention to kill her. This was interrupted by the random scattering of sand near their legs from a blaster shot.

They both turned, seeing a group of unknown attackers coming towards them with guns. Their green and khaki camouflage armour covered their entire bodies, so Leia had no idea who or what they were. But one thing was certain- they were shooting at both her _and_ Vader.

“I’m not your enemy!” Leia shouted to them, but was forced to shoot at their legs in self-defence.

“They will not listen to reason, Princess,” Vader said, blocking blaster bolts with his lightsaber right back towards the shooters. Then using the Force to throw a few into the waters where, to Leia’s horror, large sea creature she’d never seen before came up to the surface, the screaming of the shooters silenced when they disappeared in the thick stream of red appearing in the crystallised water.

Her body remained rigid, too horrified to move until she felt something which told her to leap aside – and fast. She jumped out of the way just in time as multiple shots fired in the spot where she had been standing. Then, barely looking at her targets, fired at a few and they fell down instantly.

“The forest will provide cover,” Vader said, a sudden change in his decision to kill her.

Regardless of her loathing towards the Sith, she listened and ran toward the thick of unusual fauna. Some palm-like trees and bushes cluttered alongside trees with straightening trunks and green needle-like leaves sticking out, although the needle leaves were not sharp when Leia brushed up against one, surprised by the softness of it. There were different coloured flowers and their petals covering the floor of the forest. Blues, pinks, purples, oranges, beiges, petals disappearing under mud.

“Who the hell were they?” Leia asked, almost surprised that Vader stayed close behind her.

“Guards,” Vader answered, “for a criminal organisation which specialises in illegal trade. It seems they thought _you_ were my reinforcement.”

“Great,” Leia said with sarcasm, “Just what I needed. Well, I don’t know why I should be surprised, I _did_ come here to get your help.”

The confession of her reason for being on the planet made Vader stop and stare at her like he couldn’t actually believe his ears, even though his expression couldn’t be seen. Well, Leia couldn’t believe what she said either. What had she been thinking? This had been stupid. Vader’s going to kill her, surely.

“ _You_ require  _my_ help? You must be desperate.” It sounded like Vader would rather be doing something else- like fishing. In all honesty, Leia too would rather be fishing than have Luke dying on her and her only source of help to be from the most despised piece of machinery in the galaxy.

“It’s the last thing I wanted, trust me,” Leia muttered with as much bitterness as she could muster.

“I believe you,” Vader said, “but make your case Princess, or I will kill you.”

“It’s my friend,” Leia started, now sounding more desperate than she wanted to, “He’s been poisoned-,”

“I don’t see why I should care,” was Vader’s reply, understandably.

Why _would_ he care? Leia thought of ways she could convince him to help her, but coming up blank, she found herself flustering, “No, it’s just, he needs to blood of family but I don’t know anyone and you might-”

“How would _I_ know?”

“It’s Luke-”

“Skywalker?”

Vader being aware of Luke’s last name came as a shock to Leia. The entire Empire was still calling him the Rebel Pilot who blew up the Death Star. Nobody knew his name. _Nobody_. In fact, the Rebellion had gone to lengths to make sure the Imperials wouldn’t find out. So how could Vader know and not have told _anybody_?

“Yes,” Leia could only say, still too startled that Vader knows of his existence.

“He’s been poisoned and needs the blood of family?” Vader clarified which Leia nodded to, then he said, “You make an assumption that I care about Skywalker? How can you be certain I don’t want him dead?”

He made the most excellent point, and Leia hated that. Having left in such a hurry, no thought had gone into what she was doing. Entirely unplanned, and entirely stupid because Vader was going to kill her. Yet, the fact that Vader knew Luke’s name gave revelation.

“You know Luke’s name,” she said, “If you’ve known for a while, why haven’t you told the Emperor? The Empire? Why is he still being referred to as the Pilot who blew up the Death Star on the wanted posters? He’d be easier to find if they knew. But you don’t want them to know- so you’re protecting him.”

“Insightful,” Vader said, walking past her and continuing through the forest.

Leia followed, “Are there any Skywalker’s left? Anyone of Luke’s family that could help him? Somebody you may have missed when you murdered his father- and maybe mother too? Like a cousin? Half-sibling? Aunt or uncle?”

“Perhaps,” Vader said, bending down to walk under a low branch. Leia was short enough that she passed under it without having to.

His lack of answer annoyed Leia, and she wondered if there was any way she could read him, and she stared at the back of his helmet long and hard as she walked behind him. The coldness still around him, but she quickly felt some other odd sensation. Then a burst of anger that wasn’t her own.

Vader whisked around and growled at her, “ _Stop that_.”

“Stop what?” Leia asked, genuinely confused. She knew something weird had happened, no idea what or how, but she was sure it had to do with Vader’s emotions.

“You are being a nuisance,” Vader said.

Leia huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at him, “You’re one to talk!”

There was silence between them a moment, both glaring at each other. Finally, Vader broke the silence by saying, “I will help Skywalker.”

Leia perked up, “Really? Just like that?”

“Hardly. I help him, I get him.”

“No deal.”

“Very well, I help him, and I get you,” Vader pointed at her, sounding both dark and amused.

“Me!?” Unable to imagine what sort of torture she would suffer through which she hadn’t already, Leia was hesitant to agree. Was she desperate enough to help Luke by throwing away her own life? Leia gritted her teeth, looking away and answering, “Fine. We have a deal.”

***

Vader could hardly believe the Princess agreed to such a deal. Yes, he didn’t get his son, but there was a high possibility his boy would save the girl, therefore coming right to Vader. Besides, Vader realised something he hadn’t before, and it came to him as a shock that he hadn’t noticed it much earlier, the number of times he’d come across the Alderaanian Princess...

She was _Force sensitive_ .

He first felt it on the beach, now in the forest when she had been rude enough to... well, she hadn’t noticed what she had done, so perhaps it had been unfair of him to get angry at her. But he didn’t like his emotions being read.

Besides, the girl was a bubble of anger. It would do her well to become a Sith.

It was a good thing he hadn’t killed her when she came out of the water like he nearly did. The guards mistaking her for working with him- the absurdity. Like he needed reinforcements. But with his ship destroyed and her ship destroyed, it seemed there was no other way.

“We will need to work together to steal a ship,” Vader said, “There is a base due north, not too far from here. There is a hangar there. I was headed there to take a ship when I saw you crash.”

“I’m glad you cared so much to stop by,” The Princess said harshly, not even looking at Vader. The two were hardly willing allies after all.

Vader thought it best not to reply, so the two walked in silence, as Vader led the way through the forest.

The silence not lasting long, and broke when Leia asked a question Vader sensed had been on her mind for the past few minutes. “Why haven’t you told the Empire? About Luke? Why are you willing to help him?”

“If he is as powerful as his father, he would be a great asset,” Vader explained.

“No,” Leia said, “No I don’t think that’s it, I...” she stopped talking, apparent pondering. Vader knew it was only a matter of minutes before she would figure it out.

“If you can help him, that means he has family somewhere. Where are they?” Leia asked.

Vader had no idea how to reply and stayed silent.

“You’re related to him, aren’t you?” He wasn’t sure what to make of her tone, but he stayed silent again, no idea how to answer the question and not wishing to.

“Thank you,” Leia said after another moment later of silence.

“This is not for you,” Vader told her.

“I know, I meant thank you from Luke, just in case.”

Vader stopped, turning to face her again, quite suddenly too, catching her off guard. It was almost comical to watch such a smaller human bending back from his towering figure. “What do you mean “just in case”!?”

“Well, the doctor said he had a week at worst-,” Leia started, eyes wide.

“When was this!?” Vader demanded, panicked. If they were going to be too late...

“I left as soon as I found out he was poisoned, so only a few hours ago but-,”

Vader turned around. “We must hurry,” he said, picking up his pace.

***

There were plenty of guards around the hangar, and some workers too, placing shipping containers into the freighters.

“That looks suitable,” Leia said, pointing to one of the many alike grey freighters.

“The one beside it has a faster hyperdrive,” Vader pointed out, recognising the slight differences between the ship exteriors. “I will get rid of the guards, wait here.”

“Wait, what?” Leia was about to demand an explanation when Vader ran off, going into view of all the guards. What happened next, Leia could only watch with her mouth wide open.

The use of the Force was exceptional and horrifying. His lightsaber out and swinging it at people, throwing it towards people, and it flew back into his hands with ease. He ran behind a ship, pushing it towards a group of ten guards coming outside to see what the commotion was, killing them instantaneously. She detested seeing him kill so many people with such simplicity, only anger and no empathy.

With the guards concentrating on Vader, and quickly lowering in numbers, Leia jumped out from behind a bush, rushing towards a ship. She realised that a guard was about to have the upper hand on Vader, pointing her blaster and shooting, hitting him on the first shot.

Of course, that caused the other guards to realise she was there, and Leia jumped behind a nearby crate, cursing to herself.

The blaster fire suddenly died down, and Vader walked over to her, staring down as she lay against the crate. “We should leave immediately. More of them will be here soon.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Leia said. People always had backup, but she also had a bad feeling about it. She got up, feeling woozy as she did, having to use the crate for support.

“You are unwell?” Vader sounded confused when he noticed she was having trouble getting up.

“No, no I’m fine,” Leia insisted, but she too was puzzled. She had been perfectly fine before. Where had this dizziness come from? It passed quickly, though, and she followed Vader over to the ship.

As she reached the bottom of the ramp, she stopped. “Oh dear,” Leia wiped above her lips, having felt something warm and thick. The red on her fingers? Blood.

“What is it?” Vader was close enough to have heard Leia as she had spoken.

“The man Luke and I were with… he must’ve poisoned me too,” Leia said, impassioned. She couldn’t find herself to care, her head feeling stuffy, thoughts and surroundings blurring. She swayed on the spot, and Vader grabbed her by each shoulder to hold her steady.

“I’m fine,” Leia insisted again, pulling away, heading over to the ship, ignoring the dizziness.

Vader followed her, “If you do not contact family, you _will_ die.” Like he cared?

“Well goody they all blew up on Alderaan,” Leia said, sharp and bitter. “Besides, I’m adopted. Didn’t you know?”

For whatever reason, that comment made Vader stop and stare at her. Despite a lack of visible eyes, Leia could feel them penetrating. Not in any bad way, but as though he were actually seeing her properly for the first time. Like she was a human being, no longer a pest. Somebody worth knowing.

Although the feeling should have brought warmth, Leia couldn’t help but feel weirded out. It was not like Vader to treat her – or anyone – like they were living beings.

“Then perhaps you are in luck, and your biological family were never on Alderaan.” Did Vader sound... hopeful? She daresn’t think about it.

He knew or suspected something.

***

Vader watched the girl go up the ramp, his mind swimming. If Luke and Leia had been poisoned at the same time, there was no way somebody who wasn’t a Skywalker would be affected by a poison much later.

There was no way she could be related to them, however. Of course, she and Luke appeared to be the same age, and twins were always a possibility, but the likelihood was... improbable.

Still, the only person who could be more powerful than _his_ child, would have to be his child. The girl was showing Force abilities, she had a temper that could be matched to his own, and as he stared at her – after all, he had never really looked at her or cared much for her to bother – he noticed facial similarities with his wife.

 _Padme_. It had been so long, but he found himself thinking of her so often these days.

He shook the thoughts of his love away, finding himself in the cockpit of the ship, not stopping Leia as she put the coordinates of the rebel base into the ship. It seemed the poison couldn’t make a person think quite clearly, perhaps it was a reason for why she had come to him with such haste.

And when the two worked together to fly the ship off the planet, Vader effortlessly taking out gunfighters, he watched her slowly falling into a worse condition, and an internal battle happened within him.

Leia’s face grew paler very fast, her head falling into her hands, her eyes becoming bloodshot. She even let the blood from her nose drip down, doing nothing to stop it.

Unable to watch her deterioration any longer, now knowing she was Force Sensitive too, Vader got up and went around the ship. There was a small room with medical supplies, and he was lucky to find a needle amongst them.

Going back to the cockpit, he was prepared what he had to do. If she really was who he thought she was, this would work. If not, then it was hardly a loss. He possessed the coordinates to the rebel base, and he was headed to his son at last.

It was time for a moment of truth.

***

“Wait, what are you doing?” Leia asked managing to hold her head up to watch the needle prick disappear through the black of Vader’s armour, tube filling with his blood. She hadn’t expected normal, human blood, thick and red like every other human being. She had expected something else from him. Like green blood? Oil? Mercury?

“Call it a hunch,” Vader said.

Despite her thoughts being slow, she realised why he was doing what he was doing, “No way, we can’t be, there’s no proo-,” Leia fell silent from the needle sting.

“If it doesn’t work,” Vader said, hushed, “no harm will come to you from it.”

When nothing happened right away, Leia wasn’t sure if she felt glad it hadn’t worked or disappointed this meant she would die. Those were her last thoughts before she passed out.

*

Vader stood over her.

“Your highness?”

No reply.

“Leia?”

Still nothing.

Vader gently nudged her. Not even a stir. Then he debated- should he leave her in the chair or carry her to a bed in the back room? No doubt she’d be terribly angry he touched her. But then, the position she was in did not appear comfortable. Arms over the rests, neck craning to the side. Not to mention, his loud breathing may wake her prematurely. He should invest in a muffler.

 _I’m weak_ , Vader told himself as he scooped the Princess into his arms, _doing what a foolish Anakin Skywalker would._ He walked to the bedroom. _So weak._

He placed her gently, and comfortably, on a bed, then headed back to the cockpit and taking the pilot’s chair. Some meditation was long overdue.

***

A few hours later, Vader phased out of his meditation, sensing a very awake Leia who hadn’t come back to the cockpit. She felt... distressed.

About to check on her, Vader took his seat again when Leia entered yawning widely.

“How are you feeling?” Vader asked her.

A shrug. “Fine.”

“So it worked?”

No reply. Leia sat in the co-pilot’s seat, fiddling with some buttons, nothing that would damage the ship in the middle of hyperspace.

“Leia,” Vader wasn’t even sure what to say, all he wanted was for her to talk to him.

“Don’t,” Leia said, “We just... We’re there, we need to get out of hyperspace.”

So Vader stayed silent, deciding she was right. But he felt irrationally thrilled as they prepared to pull out of Hyperspace. His blood worked with Leia. They were related.

He had _twins_.

A long forgotten memory of arguing about the gender of the baby came to the front of his mind. He had insisted it was a girl. Turns out they were both right.

Vader’s thoughts drew to the present when they were out of hyperspace and an imminent danger approached.

***

“Pirates,” Vader growled as the ship controls died. Power gone.

“No, not quite. The Ship’s too big for ordinary ones,” Leia said.

“So well paid pirates,” Vader stood up.

“Black sun? A gang maybe?” Leia suggested.

Their ship began moving backwards, heading into a dock no doubt, going into a hangar full of criminals, craving either their technology or blood.

“It is no matter,” and Vader’s mood dropped instantaneously and noticeably into darkness. The atmosphere filled with fear, and Leia felt cold again. The hilt of his lightsaber was now in his hands.

“No!” Leia jumped up, “we’re not killing anyone!”

“And let them take the ship!? Do not be injudicious, Princess.”

“It wasn’t our ship to begin with, anyway!” Leia argued, “Nobody needs to die! We’ll take the escape pod, at this angle we won’t land on the planet, but we _will_ land on one of its colonised moons.”

Vader paused, but in the end disagreed, stepping into the corridor, “This would be easier.”

Leia followed him, knowing she had to think of something, and fast. A word – _anything_ – that would make him listen to her. He was so bloodthirsty, lacking a heart to stop himself, and would hurt anyone... except... Luke. And herself.

So she forced it. Peculiar through her lips, and nauseating when she said it. Unnatural to her ears as it were to his.

“ _Father_!” Her heart ached, chest swelling with denied emotions. Vader turned to face her at her plea. For a moment, she was worried it hadn’t worked, that she had admitted to such a heinous thing for nothing.

“Very well,” and Vader put his lightsaber away.

The clanking right outside the ship door meant the pirates would be inside soon. The pods entrance was designed in such a way they’d have to almost drop themselves in. And when they opened it, it was, well, small.

“It’ll have to do,” Vader and Leia said at the same time as they stared into it.

“You first,” Leia said, “so they won’t see you.”

In all honesty, Leia really wouldn’t want Vader to accidentally drop right onto her. It was easier this way.

The front door of the ship burst open as Leia dropped into the pod. She closed the door and Vader set the pod off, heading right towards a moon.

“What if they shoot at us?” Leia asked.

Vader gave no reply at first, maybe considering her question. It seemed he wanted to answer something- something he’d say to someone who he gave no damn about and was a constant pain in his life. Instead he said, “they won’t.”

***

The moon was filled with agricultural land, yet unfortunately, in some places, there were no sentient beings in sight.

Instead, they happened to land in a large pit. It wasn’t particularly deep, maybe a metre or so. But the little critters inside the pit didn’t appear to be able to jump or climb- rendering them unable to get out of said pit. The critters were flat little things, thin brown fur almost made them invisible amongst the soiled ground. When they opened their mouths, the sharp teeth of carnivores was very noticeable.

Unfortunately, since they landed in the pit, they had to go get out of it. Easier said than done as the critters started to pile around the pod, already pulling at the mechanics and wires with their teeth.

Vader stretched his hand out, the critters being pushed away and making a path for the two of them. Getting down from the top of the pod first, Vader helped Leia down... _almost_ helped her down.

“What? What are you doing!?” Leia yelled out as Vader held her in his arms. She tried to get down, but his grip was tight. Her anger flared.

“Carrying you to safety. They cannot hurt you if you’re on higher ground,” Vader kicked a few of the critters away.

“Safety!? Since when have you cared for my safety? You’ve tortured me, my friends, and tried to kill us!”

“That was before,” Vader said, sounding amused. He placed her onto a higher platform. “This is now. You’ll be safe here.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Leia asked, watching as he walked back to the escape pod.

“I dropped my lightsaber,” Vader said.

“Lightsa- It can’t be _that_ important. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“You are overly worried about somebody who has tried to kill you.”

“Oh for Force’s sake, get back over here!”

“No. Not yet.” Vader reached the escape pod.

“You’re _enjoying_ this, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps I simply enjoy your anger- Don’t take that the wrong way. Anger is good. It makes you powerful.”

“This is NOT anger!” Leia insisted, but the emotion was reaching its peak.

“What is it, then?” The Sith asked, sounding more pleased than anything else, looking into the pod.

“ANNOYANCE!”

“There is a difference?”

Exasperated, Leia yelled, “ _YES_!”

“Well, you need no longer be _annoyed_. I have found my lightsaber.”

“Then get over here! They’re already chewing at your leg!”

Not for long though, as a red blade started hacking away at them. Vader continued destroying them until the survivors ran.

***

The two of them traveled along a path, the dirt becoming pastures and fields that were growing different foods. A whole line of workers - all different species - picked something from green plants in a grand field. Both Leia and Vader slowed down as they passed. The way the worker’s looked didn’t seem right, appearing thin, malnourished, their clothes beyond dirty.

“Slaves,” Leia heard Vader hiss. Feeling that coldness from him again, and she only just noticed that the cold had not been there since they had been on the ship. It was becoming more on and off than constant.

“We have to free them,” Leia said. She wasn’t able to say much more, again, as Vader activated his lightsaber saying “yes” with agreement and ran off.

“This is where Luke got his impulsivity,” Leia realised, ignoring the fact she could be rather reckless herself.

Rather than following Vader, Leia went up to one of the workers. They looked up at her for a second, before turning hastily away and back to work. Putting the white they were picking into the basket. Cotton.

The person was a young female, her wide terrified eyes and shaking hand told Leia that they were terrified.

“It’s okay,” Leia said, and a sudden swell of pride in her chest, “Dar- I mean, My… father will free you.”

 _Father_. She squashed that word away. She already had a father- Bail Organa. Perhaps she was, most unfortunately, related to Vader, but he was undeserving of the title. Not yet, not now, not from her.

Except he was freeing the slaves, she realised. That must count for something.

Leia sat down, watching the slaves work, keeping out of sight if anyone came to check on them, hidden behind the tall plants. What must have been half an hour, or an hour later, she sensed Vader returning, and stood up to see the dark figure coming towards her.

“The owners are dead,” Vader said, “I have found us a ship.”

Leia nodded, turning to the slaves, “You’re free!” she yelled at them, but they all looked up, confused. Perhaps because there had been no shouting or yelling from the main farm which was in the distance, so they did not know their Master's had been killed. But Vader had managed to get them a ship...

In a split second everything changed when Leia realised she was taking _Darth Vader_ to the rebel base, and the stupidity of it. Luke was related to Vader, _she_ was related to Vader. Which meant she was related to Luke. So not only stupid, but now unnecessary. An idea came to her mind which she’d have to act on before Vader realised what was happening.

Putting her blaster up, Leia shot Vader repeatedly in the shoulders and legs. Vader yelled out with surprise and pain as he fell to the ground and Leia took her chance to run.

***

He had not sensed her betrayal, he had not even thought she would do it. There was no time for Vader to react when he felt the pain in his shoulders, _and_ his legs, falling to the ground, blinded with pain, fury and grief. He could sense Leia running, and when he stood up he noticed the slaves were all standing up, looking at Leia in awe, at Vader with fear.

Vader took a step forward to run after his daughter but then collapsed onto his knee. She must have shot somewhere that reduced his leg to uselessness. A perfect shot, maybe not on purpose, but perfect nonetheless. He tried getting up again, but it was no use and he collapsed to the ground. Vader cursed to himself, then watched a ship in the distance flying off, Leia’s presence becoming dimmer.

He couldn’t stop himself. With his daughter leaving, the rebels surely fleeing as soon as she gets to the base, and not being able to get to his children, Vader yelled out with anger, everything nearby – plants and slaves alike – tidal waving off the ground and into the distance, surrounding him only brown soil and the residue of leaves.

Then he calmed, realising that at least the Empire would not have them, he slowly and painfully made his way back to the farm to make a call to the nearest Imperial outpost.

***

“I’m coming, brother,” Leia said as she flew the ship to the planet, getting clearance so she could land on the rebel base.

Mon Mothma was waiting for her, ready to lecture her.

“Mon, Vader knows where this base is, we must leave immediately,” Leia told her before she could utter a word, “And I can heal Luke, let me go to him.”

Luke was almost dead when Leia got to him, taking blood from herself and administering it to Luke, much to the confusion of the doctors. Leia ignored them, and she was thankful they let her do so.

As soon as her blood entered him, his heartbeat already got stronger, and colour slowly returned to his face.

Han had arrived back just before Leia, sitting at Luke’s side. He too became confused, but Leia said there was time to explain later as the Rebellion had to leave the base immediately. They agreed to take the Falcon to the new base and have Luke with them since it appeared he would wake soon.

As they went up the Falcon ramp, Luke being pushed along on the med unit, Leia stopped, letting herself listen around her, a sense of calm washing over her. And she felt it. Small, but it was there. The presence she had been around the past few hours, who saved her life, and was prepared to save Luke. Who hadn’t told the Emperor about Luke, and who she knew wouldn’t mention anything of her true parentage either.

Darth Vader. Maybe he was still salvageable. Maybe.

Today wouldn’t be the day to find out, but Leia hoped, one day soon, she and her brother can save him and in Vader’s place, Anakin Skywalker could return.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Every kudos is welcome, and feel free to review :)


End file.
